West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-08


county and each town shall decide
for itself whether TO license the sale
Of intoxieants. When public senti-
ment in any community reaches the
point at which majority is against
having barroOms, its local officers
will be elected upon pledge to re-
fuse license. This is the system in
force in Georgia and works admira-
bly,. 1t has lessened the use of IL
quor and closed the saloons even in
so large city as Atlanta. II this
system be let alone, other Georgia
cities will follow the example of At
lanta and, presently, public senti-
ment in other counties will attain the
healthy and desirable condition that
now prevails in the capital of that
State.
What is said of Georgia applies
with equal force to West Virginia.
We have at present precisely the sys-
TEN that is producing such happy
results in Atlanta. In Georgia it is
called prohibitions" in West Virgin
ia. 'local option" Ofthe "a counties
in our State, A already refuse license
and there are many indications that
public opinion, against having bar
rooms, is rapidly growing in the re-
naming counties. 1t is probable
that, should avote be taken in Jetfer-
son, a majority here would pro-
nounce against granting license.
Experience demonstrates that temp
GRANGE is best promoted by treating
this matter as local issue to be
dealt with by each community acting
for itself. Experience demonstrates
that when outside interference pro-
hibits barrooms, before local public
opinion is ripe for closing them, the
cause of temperance is not advanced
but is retarded, and clandestine
drinking brings about greater evils
than could be attributed to licensed
saloons. We are able to speak from
facts within our personal observa-
ton. Several years ago, when the
temperance feeling in this county
was not strong enough to elect a
county court pledged to close the
barrooms, and when the issue had
failed at the polls, certain well-mean-
ing but over-zealous refOrmers pre-
vailed on the court to refuse license.
The result was that during the en-
suing II months we had in Jefferson
more of that character of drinking.
that does the greatest amount OF
harm, than was ever before known
in our history. The mistake was
made of attempting to close the
barrooms before local public Opin-
ion was ripe for closing them and
clandestine drinking planted a
crop Of drunkards that we would
not have had with licensed saloons.
The writer has sons upon the thresh-
old of manhood; they are at the very
age when clandestine drinking is
most to be feared and works the most
harm, and he does not intend, if he
can help it, to witness a repetition
of the mistake that was committed
in this county some II years ago.
The bars in Atlanta were closed
by vote of her own people; local
public sentiment was ripe for the
measure; u majority had so decided
and the minority submitted. But
if the bars had been closed against
the will of a majority in that city;
if they had been closed, not by the
vote Of Atlanta, but by vote taken
in other cities, the outcome would
have been very different from that
described in the editorial from the
Constitution, printed elsewhere in
this paper.
We are as much in favor of check
ing the use of intoxicants as any one;
we are in favor of making the ques-
ton of"License or no License, dis
tinct issue in every election at which
town Councilmen and county Com
missioners are to be chosen, and this
paper,under its present management,
will always be found on the side Of
temperance In other words, we are
in favor OF LOCAL OPTION; we are
in favor of that system which works
well elsewhere, and which has so ed
ueated public opinion in this State
that in fOrty-four counties there is
a majority opposed to having sa-
looms.
But q very different proposition is